1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magazine strip for carrying fastening elements and having a rear wall, two opposite side walls projecting from the rear wall, extending parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction of the magazine strip, and forming together a space for receiving the fastening elements at least along a portion of a longitudinal extent of the fastening elements, with end regions of the side walls defining an opening extending in the longitudinal direction of the magazine strip and limiting the receiving space, and loss-preventing means for preventing the fastening elements from falling out of the magazine strip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As mentioned above, the magazine strips of the type described above serve for carrying fastening elements, in particular, screws. The magazine strip has, as it has also been described above, two opposite side wall extending substantially parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction of the magazine strip and projecting from a rear wall for forming a fastening element receiving space. The fastening elements are at least partially received in the receiving space and are guided by the side walls of the magazine strip. The side walls have end regions which define an extending in the longitudinal direction of the magazine strip, opening that limits the receiving space. The magazine strip further includes loss-preventing means that prevents falling out of the fastening elements from the receiving space in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the magazine strip. During the use of the magazine strip in a setting tool, the loss-preventing means is released, which permits displacement of a fastening element out of the receiving space in the longitudinal direction of the magazine strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,014 discloses a magazine strip with two opposite, extending substantially parallel to each other, side walls which form a receiving space. The side walls project from a rear wall and have free end regions forming an opening extending in the longitudinal direction of the magazine strip and limiting the receiving space. At opposite longitudinal ends of the magazine strip, there is provided loss-preventing means which is formed as a locking tongue extending into the receiving space. The locking tongues are resilient and extend into the receiving space under a preload. Upon displacement of the magazine strip, the locking tongue is displaced at least partially out of the receiving space by a release mechanism against a biasing force, which permits displacement of the fastening elements out of the receiving space.
A drawback of the strip magazine of U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,014 consists in that for actuation of the loss-preventing means, a separate and mechanically complicated, release mechanism is needed. Also, forming the loss-preventing means of several elements negatively affects the economic efficiency of the strip magazine.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a magazine strip with loss-preventing means and that can be economically produced.